As of now, there are 12 fulltime members of the International Cricket Council (ICC) – Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka, West Indies, and Zimbabwe. Each of these teams has a least 4 bowlers which make it immensely difficult to pick the Top 10 ODI Bowlers in the world.
Having said that, ICC, from time to time, keep updating the rankings based of the recent performances of said players and ranks them accordingly.
The rankings do change over time depending on the performance of each player and also the matches he player for his country in One Day Internationals.
The following players are rated out of 1000 points by the ICC.
Without further ado, let us start with the list.
Who Is The Best Bowler In The World Right Now?
| POS | PLAYER NAME | TEAM | CAREER BEST RATING |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Trent Boult | NZ | 770 v West Indies, 22/06/2019 |
| 2 | Mehedi Hasan | BAN | 725 v Sri Lanka, 25/05/2021 |
| 3 | Mujeeb Ur Rahman | AFG | 712 v Ireland, 01/24/2021 |
| 4 | Matt Henry | NZ | 691 in Bangladesh, 26/03/2021 |
| 5 | Jasprit bumrah | IND | 841 v West Indies, 01/11/2018 |
| 6 | Kagiso Rabada | TO | 724 v England, 29/05/2017 |
| 7 | Chris Woakes | ENG | 676 in New Zealand, 14/07/2019 |
| 8 | Josh Hazlewood | OUT | 733 v England, 26/01/2018 |
| 9 | Pat Cummins | OUT | 729 in Pakistan, 12/06/2019 |
| 10 | Mustafizur Rahman | BAN | 695 v West Indies, 14/12/2018 |
Official Men’s ODI Bowlers Ranking According To ICC As On 22 Dec 2021
1. Trent Boult
Trent Boult is a New Zealand international swing bowler born on 22nd July 1989 who currently ranks #1 of ICC World Men Bowler list. He is the go-to bowler for the New Zealand team who made his ODI debut in 2012 against West Indies. In his debut match he took 2 wickets for 45 runs with an economy of 5.29.
In the 2015 ICC Worldf Cup, Boult finished the joint-highest wicket-taker with 22 scalps, cementing his reputation as one of exciting new talents with the ball in the Cricketing world. Boult’s high point came in the group stage victory over Australia, where he demolished the team’s batting line up for 5/28, however, Australia went on to win the World Cup.
Another reason why he is the best bowler in the world right now in the ODI category is the fact that he can swing the ball both ways. Additionally, he is exceptional when it comes to the ability of switching between all three formats of the game.
Fun Facts:
Nickname: TNT, Thunderbolt and Lightning Bolt
Height: 5 feet 9 inches
Bowling:Left arm medium-fast
Spouse: Gert Smith (2017)
ODI Debut: 11th July 2012, against West Indies
ODI Bowling Stats: 93 matches, 93 innings, 169 wickets, Best Bowling in Innings 7/34 and 5 five wicket hauls
2. Mujeeb Ur Rahman Zadran
On #2 on the list is the young up and coming 20 year old bowler from Afghanistan named Mujeeb Ur Rahman born on the 28th of March, 2001. Making his debut less than 3.5 years ago against Ireland in December of 2017 and what a debut match it was for the player. He bowled 10 overs out of which 2 were maiden and also took 4 wickets with the economy of 2.40.
Mujeeb broke the stereotype and is not a typical story where the player comes from the humble beginnings and fight all odds to play for the country, instead, he grew up in a mansion in Khost, and developed a keen interest in cricket while watching the 2012 World T20.
Being blessed with his private practising facilities, Mujeeb discovered his aptitude for spin bowling trying to squeeze a tennis ball between his fingers to bowl off-breaks and carom balls. Over time, the young prodigy started to develop some strength and could send the ball further with a flick of the finger.
Fun Facts:
Nickname: Mujeeb Zadran
Height: 5 feet 11 inches
Bowling:Right-arm offbreak
Spouse: Unmarried
ODI Debut: 5th December 2017, against Ireland
ODI Bowling Stats: 43 matches, 42 innings, 70 wickets, Best Bowling in Innings 5/50, and 1 five wickets haul
3. Matt Henry
One of the best bowlers in the world right now is the New Zealand’s Matt Henry who ranks 3 on the ICC Men’s Bowler in ODI. The 29 year old made his mark in his debut match against India taking not only 4 wickets but also bowling a maiden over.
Henry has drawn comparisons to the great Shane Bond, not only because of his devastating bowling but also because he, too, is prone to injuries, so much so that his career did not take off until an acute back surgery in 2012.
Henry has been touted as a fine talent and his ability to generate seam movement at a good pace makes him stand apart from the other New Zealand fast-bowlers who are more reliant on swing than movement off the pitch.
Fun Facts:
Nickname: Matty, Hennaz
Height: 6 feet 2 inches
Bowling:Right-arm fast-medium
Spouse: Holly Carran (2020)
ODI Debut: 31st January 2014, against India
ODI Bowling Stats: 55 matches, 53 innings, 98 wickets, Best Bowling in Innings 5/30, and 2 five wicket hauls
4. Jasprit Bumrah
The 27 year old Indian fast bowler, Jasprit Bumrah, currently ranks 4th on the list of ICC Men’s ODI Bowling Rankings who is the go-to man for the Indian team during the death overs. Jasprit Bumrah came to the limelight all thanks to the Indian Premier League and became nothing short of a boon for Indian cricket.
Jasprit, in the debut ODI match against Australia, took 2 wickets and bowled his 10 overs with an economy of 4.00 showing his class and the potential he can unearth. What people would not know is that in his debut match he came in as a replacement to Mohammad Shami.
Jasprit has delivered consistent performances in coloured clothing and has even become an irreplaceable asset for his captain. How he consistently holds his nerve has drawn comparisons to MS Dhoni and is also called MS Dhoni’s bowling counterpart as a last-over specialist for India.
Fun Facts:
Nickname: Jassi, JB
Height: 5 feet 8 inches
Bowling:Right-arm fast
Spouse: Sanjana Ganesan (2021)
ODI Debut: 23rd January 2016, against Australia
ODI Bowling Stats: 67 matches, 67 innings, 108 wickets, Best Bowling in Innings 5/27, 1 five wicket hauls
5. Mehedi Hasan
Mehedi or Mehidy Hasan ranks 5 on the list and at the age of 23 is a big feat. Before this Bangladeshi bowler turned 19, he had a test fifer to his name. Hasan captained Bangladesh in the ICC Under-19 World Cup at the age of 16.
Hasan made his ODI debut against Sri Lanka and in the match bowled at the economy of 4.3 and also took 2 wickets which included the Sri Lankan wicket keeper Dinesh Chandimal who was looking scary with his bat.
Hasan is also a force to be reckoned with when it comes to his batting and could, with time, become one of the best all-rounders in the game of cricket as he plays with a Strike Rate of over 75.
Fun Facts:
Nickname: Miraz
Height: 5 feet 7 inches
Bowling:Right-arm offbreak
Spouse: Rabeya Akter Priti (2020)
ODI Debut: 25th March 2017, against Sri Lanka
ODI Bowling Stats: 47 matches, 46 innings, 47 wickets, Best Bowling in Innings 4/25, and no five wickets hauls
6. Kagiso Rabada
One of the best fast bowlers in the world according to ICC in ODI cricket is the 25 year old South African Kagiso Rabada. Rabada is known for his pace and bounce and is also regarded as the bowler who can be as close to “optimal combination”.
When he made his ODI debut in 2015 against Bangladesh, he turned a lot of heads as he bowled 8 over with the economy of 2.0 and took 6 wickets in the match. A player could not have asked for a better start to their career.
Rabada, under the mentorship of Gordon Parsons, Chris Morris as well as Lonwabo Tsotsobe in the Lions, rapidly rose through the ranks and soon found himself with the South Africa A team travelling to Australia.
Fun Facts:
Nickname: KG
Height: 6 feet 1 inch
Bowling:Right-arm fast
Spouse: Unmarried
ODI Debut: 10th July 2015, against Bangladesh
ODI Bowling Stats: 77 matches, 75 innings, 119 wickets, Best Bowling in Innings 6/16, and one 5 wicket haul.
7. Chris Woakes
The 32 year old English bowler, Chris Woakes, ranks 7th in the world as per ICC in ODI bowling. His fine performances in First Class cricket earned him an entry into the England Lions side and also a place in the preliminary 2009 World T20 squad.
In his debut ODI match in 2011, Woakes posed problems for the Australian side as in his 7 overs, he not only took a wicket but also sent Michael Clarke back to the dressing room all with an economy of just 4.43.
After the 2015 disaster, England made a pivotal change in their approach to the One Day International cricket and Woakes, since then, has become an integral member of his side. He has taken 79 wickets in 50 innings since the last World Cup with an impressive economy rate of under 5.5.
Fun Facts:
Nickname: The Wizard
Height: 6 feet
Bowling:Right-arm fast-medium
Spouse: Amie Louise Woakes (2017)
ODI Debut: 23rd January 2011, against Australia
ODI Bowling Stats: 104 matches, 100 innings, 149 wickets, Best Bowling in Innings 6/45, and 3 five wicket hauls
8. Josh Hazlewood
The 30 year old Australian bowler is currently amongst the best ODI bowlers in the world according to ICC and ranks 8 on the list. He is often regarded as the modern day adaptation of the legendary Australian bowler Glenn McGrath.
In his debut match in 2010, which he played against England, he bowled 7 overs with an economy of under 6.0 and also took Craig Kieswetter’s wicket. With Starc being prone to injury, Hazlewood has had to shoulder a lot of extra responsibility on several occasions and he has shown that he relishes the baggage.
Hazlewood’s mantra was to stick to the basics of line and length which not only worked for him but also complemented Starc beautifully. Hazlewood has performed remarkably in ODIs and his unrelenting accuracy has stifled a lot of batsmen and he has also tried to add up a few variations up his sleeve to suit the format.
Fun Facts:
Nickname: Hoff, Bendemeer Bullet
Height: 6 feet 4 inches
Bowling:Right-arm fast-medium
Girlfriend: Cherina Murphy Christian
ODI Debut: 22nd June 2010, against England
ODI Bowling Stats: 54 matches, 53 innings, 88 wickets, Best bowling in Innindga, 6/52, and 3 five wicket hauls
9. Pat Cummins
Another Australian makes it to the list of ICC best ODI bowlers and this time it is the 28 year old Pat Cummins and often one thing said about him is that Cummins has no real weakness in his skill set but is only restricted by his fragile body.
In his debut ODI match in 2011, he bowled just 3 overs and was expensive with an economy of 9.33, but he also took 3 wickets, making a sensational start to his ODI career. Sending Jacques Kallis, Jean-Paul Duminy and Johan Botha back to the dressing room.
Cummins was also part of the title-winning Australian squad of ICC 2015 World Cup but only played two games (where he performed well) due to recurring injury concerns and other reasons. However, since gaining complete command over his fitness (2017), he is the first pace option on the team sheet.
Fun Facts:
Nickname: Cummo
Height: 6 feet 3 inches
Bowling:Right-arm fast
Spouse: Becky Boston (Fiancée)
ODI Debut: 19th October 2011, against South Africa
ODI Bowling Stats: 69 matches, 69 innings, 11 wickets, Best Bowling in Innings 5/70, and 1 five wicket haul
10. Mustafizur Rahman
Yet another Bangladeshi cricketer on the list of the 25 year old Mustafizur Rahman who caught attention during the India tour of Bangladesh in 2015 when he became the only second bowler in ODI history, after Zimbabwe’s Brian Vitori, to pick up two five-wicket hauls in his first two matches.
Rahman made his ODI debut in June 2015 against India and he could not have wished for a better ODI debut as he bowled 9.2 overs at an economy of 5.25, bowled a maiden over and took 5 wickets including Rohit Sharma, Suresh Raina and Ravindra Jadeja.
Rahman’s injury filled career has earned him the name of “The Fizz” given the several ups and downs he had seen owing to it. However, this does not take away just how powerful he is with a ball in his hand is one of the most Five-wicket haul takers in the world.
Fun Facts:
Nickname: The Fizz, Cutter master
Height: 5 feet 11 inches
Bowling:Left-arm fast-medium
Spouse: Samia Parvin (2019)
ODI Debut: 18th June 2015, against India
ODI Bowling Stats: 67 matches, 66 innings, 124 wickets, Best Bowling in Innings of 6/43 and 5 five-wicket hauls
With this, we conclude our list of 10 best Bowlers in the World in ODI format as per the International Cricket Council rankings. How many bowlers on the list did you guess correctly and which ones left you dumbfounded to be on the list. Tell us down in comments.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Question 1: Who is the best bowler in 2021?
Answer 1: According to the International Cricket Council, the best bowler in 2021 is New Zealand’s star player Trent Boult. He currently ranks #1 on the ODI bowlers list.
Question 2: Who is the fast bowler in the world now?
Answer 2: If we talk about specifically “fast bolwers” and not bowlers overall, the crown for fast bowler in the world now goes to Jasprit Bumrah who, as per ICC, is rated 690.
Question 3: Who is the best spinner in the world 2021?
Answer 3: 20 year olf Afghan’s Mujeeb Ur Rahman Zadran is the best spinner in the world in 2021 as per the ICC rankings in ODI format with the Best Bowling in Innings figure of 7/34 making him a young prodigy.